[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Gottfried Matz

[George Shoning]

If you look at the Ellis Island records, you will find a Gottlieb Matz arriving in New York on the date that you state with the following dependents:
Amalie Matz - spouse - age 32
Bertha Matz - child - age 10
Julius Matz - child - age 8
Carl Matz - child - age 6
Augusta Matz - child - age 5
Gustav Matz - child - age 3
Adolf Matz - child - age 6 months

Now for some speculation:

You state that Gottlieb was born in East Prussia and moved to Russia in 1867.  Beginning in 1865 a fairly large number of East Prussians moved to Volhynia (to Toporitsche in the District of Zhitomir, in today's Ukraine).  Gottlieb may have been one of these immigrants.  When Czar Alexander III revoked most of the privileges, such as exemption from military service, beginning in 1887 many of the former East Prussians left Russia (Ukraine) and eventually settled in southwestern Michigan, northeastern Wisconsin, and the Dakotas, because its lands were similar to that of East Prussia.

If any of this is part of your family lore, you may wish to do further research in this area.  One source to look at is Michael J. Anuta's book "East Prussians from Russia".  The book was published in 1979 and may be hard to find.

I hope some of this helps.

George Shoning  

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michelle Patterson" gmail.com>
To: ger-poland-volhynia at sggee.org
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 2:12:37 PM
Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Gottfried Matz

Hi! I am totally new to researching the Germans from Russia side. And
I am totally stumped at my 2nd great grandfather. I found an obituary
in the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia in German
and translated into English. His first name their is Gottfried. His
grand kids say his first name is Gerthart. And I've seen his name as
Gottlieb. So I'll say Gottfried Matz for now. He was born in East
Prussia, Germany in 17 Dec. 1851 and died 14 June 1916 in Goodrich,
Sheridan, North Dakota. He emigrated from Germany to Russia in 1867.
And immigrated to America, arriving in NY on 9 Apr 1887 on the ship
Ems from Bremen Germany with his family. His wife was Amalia Poelke
and her father, Carl August Poelke was born in Reußen,
Burgenlandkreis, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, but I'm not sure that's
where Gottfried Matz was from. Could you all be of help to me in
finding where Gottfried Matz came from? And maybe his parents,
grandparents, etc?

Thanks,

Michelle (Matz) Patterson
lefse10 at gmail.com
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